The Stell—A Bouldering Guide

Part Two

A series of downloadable PDF guides to new bouldering venues , problems, highballs and routes in Northumberland. Including:

The Stell Whiteheugh Raven’s Crag

Caller Crag , Corby’s and Edlingham Greensheen Hill Parkside Wood

The Maiden Chambers Area St Cuthbert’s Cave The Bowden Area

The Wanneys Group Beanly Moor and Hunterheugh Blakey’s Block

Cockenheugh Kyloe Out Rothley

The Ravensheugh Area Banno Crags Titlington and the Turban

South Yardhope Brady’s Crag Coquet View

Shitlington Lookwide Howlerhirst

High Crag

NMC Northumbrian

Mountaineering

Club

Alec Burns

On The Figurehead

Bob Smith

N

orth

um

brian

Mo

un

tainee

ring C

lub

Sup

plem

ent

21. The Gully Wall 6b+ SB

Sit Start. Up the innocuous arête.

22. The Lonely Block. 6b+ BS

Sit Start. Gain the arête and layaway up this to an awkward finish.

23. Holly Wall. 6b BS Sit Start. Gain the arête and layaway up

this to an awkward finish. A variety of foot rules can be applied …..

24. The Wandering Minstrel. 6C BS

This is something of a ballad. Start with some hard , low level

crimping, span the gap to a pocket and some palming action, cross

the crack and continue with your hands on the edge. Excellent!

25. Slapple 6b+ BS

From an obvious slot pull up to a crimp then the large sloper, make

a long reach from this to the top.

26. The Bookend. 6b+ BS

The impending indefinite arête of the Wandering Minstrel. Small fingerholds facilitate a clamp.

Some cunning heal work leads to a difficult finish.

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The Wandering Minstrel… ...The Stell The Stell… …The Matterhorn

Dan Adams

On The Bookend

Mark Savage collection

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26. The Bookend

27. The Crack. 4…… Dare you?

28. The Concave Wall. 6b SB

Up the large crimps to reach the top, palm along this to the left and rock over to finish.

29. Holt On. 7b AH

The left side of the angled nose. Pull out up the vertical wall.

30. Unpleasant Medicine. 7a+ MW

The right side of the nose, again pull out up the short wall.

An interesting eliminate uses the hands on 29, and feet on 30!................... Or perhaps vice versa.

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Aido Holt

Holt On

Mark Savage Photography

The Neb… ...The Stell The Wandering Minstrel… ...The Stell

Martin Waugh

Unpleasant Medicine

Mark Savage Photography

It is the sign of these modern times that an

‘interesting’ eliminate which uses the hands

on 26 and hooks feet onto 25 has been es-

tablished. Photographic evidence suggests it

responds well to a technique which would

come naturally to a Land Crab!

It has not been possible to establish which

body parts reach the top first

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The Good Book Bloc

31. Barnaby Rudge. 6b+ DM

Standing on the block, pull onto the wall reach up to the lip and rock out the finish.

32. Great Expectations. 8a+ DV

Like the original, this will be a weekly serial for most! The hardest problem currently on the crag

Sit Start. Tiny two tip crimps lead rightwards to a veritable jug at the junction with Hard Times. Up

and over.

33. Hard Times. 7a SB

Sit Start (the boulder to the right is out). Up the arête to the finger jug, move left to top out. 6b+ from

standing.

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Great Expectations was one of Dan’s North-

umbrian obsessions. The challenge it

posed was obvious, the fingertip nicks at

chest height were noted and fondled on the

first visit, but needed a strength and tech-

nique beyond that the initial developers

possessed. Of the several local activists

perhaps capable, Dan stepped forward and

invested the necessary time, effort and

frustration to complete the problem.

Currently the problem has been done from

the stand, while from the sit Dan has estab-

lished himself on the wall. From the stand

Dan considers it 8a+ . It is by far the hardest

problem at the crag. Dan considers this an

open project. Get to it!

Dan Varian

Great Expectations

Mark Savage Photography

The Good Book Bloc… ...The Stell The Stell… ...The Good Book Bloc

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34. Bilberry Wall. 6c ?

The delicate slab past the Bilberries. Both the Bilberries and Heather will probably disappear with

time.

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The First Tower .

35. The Wall. 6b CM

Up the Wall to the overlap and a positive

hold. Reach left then up to the top

36. Canny Crack 5+ CM

The leaning crack throughout.

The Second Tower

37. No Joke 6c SB

Easily up the wall, pull over the overhang to

an awkward finish. Another quiet night’s

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The Doldrums… ...The Stell The Stell… ...The Doldrums

Katie Mundy

Stuck in the Middle

Photo: Dan Varian

The Bow

38. The Pequod . 6b+ AB

The left side of the obvious prow.

39. The Bowsprit . 6b+ AB

Up the bow making like a figurehead….See the

rear cover and above right. Very steep!

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To the right of the prow is a vertical wall with two

problems. Another, on a blunt arête will be found

by following the gully to the right .

40. Call me Ishmeal. 6b+ SB

SS From the good hold small flakes lead to the

break. Undercut this up and left to an awkward

exit.

41. Queequeg. 6b SB

Follow the edge up and right. Pass the Bilberries

to the second ramp up this to yet another awk-

ward finish, it gets sneakily high—watch out!

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Bob Smith

The Bowsprit

Alec Burns

The Doldrums… ...The Stell The Stell… ...The Doldrums

Katie Mundy

Call me Ishmael

Mark Savage collection

Ian Murray

The Pequod

Alec Burns

44. Moby Dick. Left 6b+ SB

Moby Dick Right 7a

From the back of the recess, traverse the

diagonal break. Pull over the overhang

and depending on your mood exit left, or

right.

45. Ahab. 6c BS

From the back of the overhang follow

the break out left, reach up into a hold

in the crack. Span out to an edge and

them a hold on the lip. Pull out over

the roof to another Stell mantle!

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42. Downfall 6c SB

Sit Start the blunt arête .

In the early stages of development, Ste-

ve Blake stepped through a heather cor-

nice and back flipped into the gully,

landing on his feet at the base of the rib.

There are many other mantraps on the

top of the crag —beware!

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43. The Wee Block. 6a JE

Sit Start — really you must!

Steve Blake

Moby Dick

Alec Burns

Moby Dick… ...The Stell The Stell… ...Moby Dick

Katie Mundy

On Ahab

Mark Savage Photography

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46. The Smiling Block Left. 6c MW

A morpho sit start. Easier for the short to start,

but a big span leads to a difficult to finish!.

47. The Smiling Block Right. 6b AB

Use holds on the arête to reach up to a hold on

the left.

48. Easy Groove. 5. MW

49. Wipe That Smile. 7a SB

Sit Start. From the small flake, pull over the

wall to, you guessed it, another Stell mantle!

50. Ooh Er Wall. 7a+ MW

Similar to, but harder than it’s neighbor.

Using the poor crescent and crimp, pull up to

the obvious hold on the lip

The Smiling Bloc… ...The Stell The Stell… ...The Smiling Bloc

Stu Campbell

The Smiling Block left

Mark Savage Collection

Micky Stainthorpe

Wipe That Smile

Mark Savage Collection

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The Problems on the First and Last Block can be intermingled to suit your mood. They are shown in

their original state. But play around and mix and match at will—it’s all fun!

51. Girdle Lover. 6c. MW

The obvious mid height traverse, linking into ‘Yes!’ From the prominent flat hold pull and lean

right to the break and arête. Join the Original and continue past its exit with your hand on the top.

52. Wee Cracker. 6a SB

Sit Start. The thin crack.

53. The Arete. 6b SB

SS follow the arête, it’s difficult not too….

54. The Original. 6c SB

The first problem established on the crag. Pull up the arête and span right onto the crescent , contin-

ue right and pull over at its end.

55. The Centre. 6b SB

Straight up through the crescent to a difficult exit. Probably harder than the original.

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Bob Smith

The Man from the Ministry

Bob Smith Collection

Tim Blake

The Original

Steve Blake Collection

First & Last… ...The Stell The Stell… ...First & Last

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THE FAR SIDE

Opposite the main crag about 250m North are a collection of boulders with an established problem.

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First Ascensionists Key Details:

SB - Steve Blake Old - 6’1’’ 69kg Past his best. Moderately strong.

BS - Bob Smith Older - Small (55!)kg, in decline, flexible, wily and

technical.

DV - Dan Varian Young , strong & technical

CG - Chris Graham Not quite so young , but still very strong

MW - Martin Waugh Old, and strong but like an aging racehorse very

tweaky!

AH - Aido Holt Younger and stronger, not tweaky.

AB - Alec Burns Old, declined but still fighting gravity

JE - John Earl The Oldest!

IM - Ian Murray Possibly bigger than the Redwoods in Cragside!

DM - David Murray Was the youngest—not any more—Strong.

CS - Chris Sowden Old but probably the lightest by quite a stretch!

Chris Sowden

The Reach

Bob Smith

Steve Blake

The Clown

Mark Savage Photography

...The Stell The Stell...

55. Lip Trip. 6B JE

Follow the lip right to left.